APCOA Clamped me in my own spot

EarlSlick

So i woke up this morning to go to work and found my car clamped.

I have been renting at my current property for three years and the parking disk I have on display expired on May 1st of this year. The reason I didn't have my new disk on display is that my landlord had been out of the country for the past three weeks and had yet to drop it up to me (they did so this morning)

After calling APCOA they advised I had no option other than to pay the €120 release fee and then appeal it.

Has anyone had a similar problem with APCOA? I am aghast that I should have to pay anything for this and am tempted to take an angle grinder to the bloody thing.

bucketybuck

We get notices months in advance about our yearly permits expiring, reminders and what not.

I don't see what the problem is here, your permit is 5 weeks expired, it was invalid, what did you think was going to happen?

GerardKeating

You were parked in your assigned spot with an expired parking disk?

How are APCOA to know what it is expired, perhaps your landlord has not renewed it, or owes fees to the Management company.

EarlSlick

GerardKeating wrote: »

You were parked in your assigned spot with an expired parking disk?

How are APCOA to know what it is expired, perhaps your landlord has not renewed it, or owes fees to the Management company.

Yes, technically I was parked in my own spot with an expired disk (new disk is now in my possession)

EarlSlick

bucketybuck wrote: »

We get notices months in advance about our yearly permits expiring, reminders and what not.

I don't see what the problem is here, your permit is 5 weeks expired, it was invalid, what did you think was going to happen?

I was never issued a reminder as I am not the landlord. The landlord only issued me with the new disk today

ED E

Were you displaying a valid disk? No
Will your appeal succeed? No

Pay the release, invoice the LL for the fee.

Mr.H

Clamping should never be allowed anyway. Just a way to make cash for low lives

anthonyos

remove it and put the clamp into storage at a 125 plus vat a day

Birdsong

Your issue is with your landlord, not with Apoca. Technically the parking space is his not yours.

Apoca are working on behalf of the management company, of which your landlord is part of

cruizer101

Its the management company that would have organised the clamping and decided under what terms cars get clamped, the management company that your LL is a member of.
The clampers are just doing what they are told to, the person you should have issue with is your LL who didn't get the pass for you.

Ardent

Are APCOA a private clamping operation, similar to NCPS?

trellheim

Are there valid APCOA clamping signs ?

ELM327

Just get a "friend" in a hoody to remove it.
It's interfering with the operation of a motor vehicle.

Be careful that your friend doesnt damage the clamp.

Alternatively just leave the car clamped. They give up eventually if they think you won't pay. A clamp on a non moving car for weeks earns much less for them than a clamp that can be applied several times a week @125 a pop.

God I hate clamping.

Allinall

Mr.H wrote: »

Clamping should never be allowed anyway. Just a way to make cash for low lives

It’s very effective .

Guaranteed this time next year the OP won’t be parking without a valid permit.

beertons

Get the money off the landlord. He's the one who was late in issuing his tennant the correct disc. Maybe then, he won't be slow about getting it to you next time.

lanciadub

beertons wrote: »

Get the money off the landlord. He's the one who was late in issuing his tennant the correct disc. Maybe then, he won't be slow about getting it to you next time.

exactly . landlord should be the one who you have a gripe with here , he should be the one paying the release fee.

lawred2

EarlSlick wrote: »

So i woke up this morning to go to work and found my car clamped.

I have been renting at my current property for three years and the parking disk I have on display expired on May 1st of this year. The reason I didn't have my new disk on display is that my landlord had been out of the country for the past three weeks and had yet to drop it up to me (they did so this morning)

After calling APCOA they advised I had no option other than to pay the €120 release fee and then appeal it.

Has anyone had a similar problem with APCOA? I am aghast that I should have to pay anything for this and am tempted to take an angle grinder to the bloody thing.

your permit was expired - what did you expect to happen?

pay the fee and pass the invoice on to your landlord

hasdanta

I got clamped in my boyfriend’s spot when I parked there (with his permission) to run in and get him and when we came out I was in the process of being clamped. Appealed it and got a cheque for 120e around 6 weeks later!

ELM327

lawred2 wrote: »

your permit was expired - what did you expect to happen?

pay the fee and pass the invoice on to your landlord

I would pass the fee onto the landlord if going down that route.
You'll never get the money back but you may get him to pay it

cfuserkildare

I remember getting clamped 40 minutes after parking under a sign that specifically states that you have 4 hours parking before you either move or get clamped.
Took photograph of car under sign and told them that a Solicitor was on his way down to witness said sign.


On a slightly different angle,
If you are renting said parking space is Anyone else Legally permitted to enter that space, eg Clampers? or are they Trespassing?

bucketybuck

ELM327 wrote: »

God I hate clamping.

Clampers mean that I get to park outside my apartment at night, I think they are great and feel little sympathy for people who somehow missed the 25 different warnings surrounding the courtyard.

Birdsong

bucketybuck wrote:

Clampers mean that I get to park outside my apartment at night, I think they are great and feel little sympathy for people who somehow missed the 25 different warnings surrounding the courtyard.

Agree 100%.

Unfortunately in managed estates they are necessary, the one sure way of ensuring people pay their fees.

mickdw

bucketybuck wrote: »

Clampers mean that I get to park outside my apartment at night, I think they are great and feel little sympathy for people who somehow missed the 25 different warnings surrounding the courtyard.

Until you find yourself clamped some morning because there was 5mm of one of your tyres on the white line of the adjoining space. This happened a mate of mine and only because the person beside him was badly parked when he arrived.

Id be very wary of inviting clamping to any development I lived at.
For the most part, clamping in is place, not to control parking but to enforce payment of management fees. Its a pretty crap way of doing this and imo should never be allowed into a development for this purpose.

If its working to control a parking issue within a development, fair enough but as I say, they tend to bit you in the ass given any opportunity.

ELM327

bucketybuck wrote: »

Clampers mean that I get to park outside my apartment at night, I think they are great and feel little sympathy for people who somehow missed the 25 different warnings surrounding the courtyard.

I live in an apartment complex.
I know claimping is needed. I have my space and it's free. But I hate clamping in scenarios like the OP as it's too inflexible.


And I'd saw my own arm off before I gave one red cent of blood money to the clampers.

bucketybuck

mickdw wrote: »

they tend to bit you in the ass given any opportunity.

Then don't give them the opportunity.

Not trying to be sanctimonious here but I view them the same as Ryanair, I never have any trouble with them because I don't give them any reason to cause trouble. Like parking on white lines or parking with a permit that is 5 weeks expired.